Apolipoprotein D in Lipid Metabolism and Its Functional Implication in Atherosclerosis and Aging

Perdomo, German; Dong, H. Henry

Does apoD contribute to atherosclerosis? To address this issue, Sarjeant et al [75] subject thin-sections of coronary arteries of archived human specimens to anti-apoD immunohistochemistry. Their studies visualize an increased apoD deposition in atheromatous plaques. Consistent with this finding, we show that apoD is localized in atherosclerotic lesions of apoE knockout mice (Fig. 5) . Thus, elevated apoD deposition along with excessive cholesterol accumulation is detectable in atherosclerotic lesions of both human and rodent origins. This is correlated with the ability of apoD to bind and transport cholesterol, raising the possibility that apoD may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. It follows that an increased deposition of apoD in atherosclerotic lesions can derive from a compensatory response of apoD to www.impactaging.com facilitate cholesterol removal from peripheral cells or result from the consequence of defects in apoDmediated cholesterol trafficking. Further studies are warranted to distinguish whether apoD contributes to or protects against the development of atherosclerosis.